UCLA Names Former UC Davis Head Coach As Assistant

LOS ANGELES – Rex Peters has been named assistant baseball coach at UCLA, as announced Monday by head coach John Savage. Peters, who spent the last nine seasons as head coach at UC Davis, will serve as the Bruins’ hitting and outfield coach.

Peters guided UC Davis from NCAA Division II to Division I status during his nine-year tenure (2003-11), helping the Aggies advance to the 2008 NCAA Tournament in their first year as a Division I member and Big West Conference program. He arrived at UC Davis after having spent nine seasons (1994-2002) as head coach at Chapman University (Orange, Calif.).

“Rex is a great addition to our program,” Savage said. “He brings a wealth of experience to UCLA and is very familiar with players and programs on the West Coast. We are very fortunate to be able to get somebody as talented as Rex to join our program as an assistant coach. He is a very accomplished offensive coach who I know our players are looking forward to working with.”

In nine seasons at UC Davis, Peters helped produce 21 MLB Draft selections, including a program-best seven draftees in 2008. Third baseman Daniel Descalso was selected in the third round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals and made his major league debut with the organization in 2010. Additionally, seven UC Davis players earned ABCA or NCBWA All-Region honors during Peters’ tenure as head coach.

Peters’ most successful season at UC Davis came in 2008, when the Aggies went 35-24 with a trip to the NCAA Stanford Regional. Playing as the No. 4 seed, UC Davis defeated No. 1-seed Stanford, 4-2, on the first day of the NCAA Regional before losing the next two games.

In his second season as head coach at UC Davis (2004), Peters helped the Aggies post a 37-15-1 record, including a 32-7 mark in the program’s final year with the California Collegiate Athletic Association. While no longer eligible for postseason play as part of its transition to Division I status, UC Davis finished atop the conference standings by more than seven games.

In 2003, Peters guided UC Davis to a 36-24 record and first NCAA Division II postseason berth since 1995.

Peters helped lead Chapman to three appearances in the NCAA Division III College World Series, including a third-place finish in 2000. He established program records as a head coach for most wins and highest winning percentage, taking the Panthers to the NCAA West Regional five times.

Through 18 seasons as a head coach, Peters collected a 482-396-3 (.549) career record.

Peters graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1989 with his bachelor’s degree in physical education. He was an honorable mention All-America selection for the Titans, helping lead the ballclub to a third-place finish at the 1988 College World Series. He was selected in the 24th round of the 1989 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and played four years in the minor leagues, advancing as high as double-A San Antonio.

Peters earned his master’s degree in education, with an emphasis in physical education, from Azusa Pacific in 1994.

(Release)

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